Often referred to as "the Mexican
Ramones,"
the Zeros (guitarist and singer
Javier Escovedo, second guitarist Robert Lopez, bassist Hector Peñalosa, and drummer Baba Chenelle) were just one of many contributors to the L.A. punk explosion in the late '70s. Although they never received the acclaim of such L.A. peers as
Black Flag,
the Circle Jerks, or
X,
the Zeros made admirers out of such renowned artists as
Tom Waits,
Patti Smith, and
the Damned, played numerous West Coast shows with the likes of
Dils,
Avengers,
X,
Plugz,
Nerves, and
Wipers, and even gave
the Germs their very first live gig -- opening for them in 1977. The group was first formed in 1976, and were initially known as "the Main Street Brats" -- but by the time of their first show, they had settled on the name
the Zeros. Although the quartet broke up in 1981,
the Zeros have re-formed sporadically for live shows (such as a 1991 benefit show for ailing punk rocker/writer Craig Lee, and a few years later, Bomp Records' 25th anniversary party), and a full album -- 1999's Right Now! In addition, several of
the Zeros' compositions have been covered by other bands around the world, including Spain's La Secta ("Wild Weekend"), Australia's
Hoodoo Gurus, Sweden's
the Nomads ("Wimp"), and Hollywood's
the Muffs ("Beat Your Heart Out"). ~ Greg Prato